Success Story: Synaptive Medical

Just four years old, Synaptive Medical is a young company making huge strides in the field of neurosurgery by providing technologically advanced solutions to neurosurgeons.

Privately funded and home-grown in Toronto, Synaptive has recruited a talented and dedicated team of scientists and engineers, with expertise in optics, robotics and image-guided navigation, to work collaboratively on the development of neurosurgical solutions to key medical problems.

Through its collaborative efforts, the company has created a truly innovative suite of products called BrightMatter™. It has developed solutions for interconnectivity of state-of-the-art imaging, surgical planning, navigation, and automated positioning of high definition optics. “BrightMatter provides surgeons with the right information at the right time, allowing them to focus on improving patient outcomes,” said Peter Dans, Chief Financial Officer at Synaptive Medical.

These products are aimed at seamlessly integrating surgical planning, navigation and visualization. “With this technology, surgeons can evaluate alternative routes to their target location and consider options that may have been deemed inaccessible in the past,” said Dans.

Synaptive has already received FDA clearance for BrightMatter solutions and has installed several systems in the United States. In April the company had its first international installation at Aga Khan University in Pakistan. The company has received Health Canada license for its surgical planning and informatics products and it is currently focused on obtaining Health Canada licensing for its surgical navigation solution.

“Health Canada’s licensing of our navigation product would further validate our technology and enable us to expand internationally,” said Dans. “At this point we’re U.S. focused because we haven’t received Health Canada clearance for one of the key pieces of the product solutions. The requirements are similar, but it can take longer to receive approval,” says Dans.

Synaptive Medical has deep roots in Toronto, and was founded by innovative forward thinkers who saw a solution to some very basic fundamental problems in neurosurgery. Drawing from the rich talent base of local expertise, they have addressed the challenges of inefficiencies and have been able to commercialize innovation where it’s needed most. “We have access to world class talent not just in the neuroscience industry, but also through the University of Toronto which has produced some of the top specialists in their field,” said Dans. In addition, Synaptive has benefited from proximity to other innovative Canadian companies. “We’ve continued to fund R&D locally to drive longer term success in the company. Synaptive has developed important partnerships with a number of companies in the Toronto region including MacDonald Dettwiler, the company that developed the Canadarm,” explained Dans.

Now with 280 employees, the majority of whom are based in Toronto, Synaptive Medical is fast developing into a rising star in this industry. “We’ve got a unique approach. We’re always excited to tell people that our unfolding global success story started right here in Toronto,” said Dans. Although there is still a scarcity of capital investment in Canada for what Synaptive is doing, Dans is optimistic about the future of medical technology in the Toronto region. “We see our company as being part of that shift.”